Honda Indy Toronto - Race Advance
Chip Ganassi Racing Streets of Toronto Advance Notes
RACE SETUP
Races: Honda Indy Toronto Race 1, July 19
Honda Indy Toronto Race 2, July 20
Drivers: @scottdixon9 @tonykanaan @Ryan_Briscoe @charliekimball
Cars: No. 9 and No. 10 Target Chevrolets, No. 8 NTT DATA Chevrolet, No. 83 Levemir® FlexTouch® Chevrolet
Track: Streets of Toronto (1.755-mile st. course)
TV: Race 1: NBC Sports Network 3:00 PM ET
Race 2: NBC Sports Network 3:00 PM ET
Social: @CGRTeams #TeamTarget #NTTDataRacing #RaceWithInsulin
BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
Oh, What a Store: There will be a Target store number on the right wing of Scott Dixon’s No.9 Target Chevrolet for both Toronto races. The store number represents the three police officers who were shot in the small town of Moncton, New Brunswick and what one particular Target store did to help. The town went into complete shutdown while they were searching for the suspect and the Moncton store (store number T3566) ended up being used as base for police. Also, days later, they opened their doors and staff room to police officers so they could watch the televised funerals following the arrest of the suspect. In honor of this store, the number T3566 will be on Dixon’s car.
Double Shot: Target Chip Ganassi Racing has had 24 double-header race starts since 2011, scoring a Verizon IndyCar Series-leading sixth-place finishing average while accumulating four wins, nine podiums, 14 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes.
Team Target Tie: Following last weekend’s top-five finishes for TCGR teammates Dixon and Kanaan, along with Dixon’s top-five finish at Pocono Raceway on July 6, the two teammates move into a tie for ninth place overall and second place among active drivers on the all-time Indy car top-five list with 114.
Reliable Racing: Up to this point in the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season, TCGR has completed 2771 out of a possible 2898 laps, or 96 percent.
Listen to The Legend: After retiring from his racing career at the end of 2013, former TCGR driver Dario Franchitti returned to Team Target in 2014 as a driving advisor for Chip Ganassi Racing Teams. Franchitti has also received many honors in 2014. The four-time Verizon IndyCar Series Champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 Winner from Scotland was among sports figures to be honored in Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday list in early June, being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to motor racing. Earlier this year, Franchitti also received the honor of being named the pace car driver for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500, where he led the field around during the opening laps in a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. In his new role with Team Target, Franchitti has been assisting the team as it adapts to recent lineup changes and additions and will continue to provide support throughout the remainder of the year.
Finding New Roads: All four CGRT Indy cars are utilizing the Chevrolet 2.2-liter twin turbocharged V6 engine for 2014 season. The engine produces well over 600 horsepower and close to 300 lb. ft. of torque.
Championship Pedigree: Chip Ganassi will be honored next month by the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) for outstanding contributions to motorsports by receiving the inaugural Cameron R. Argetsinger Award. The award is named after the “Father of American Road Racing”, a visionary who, in 1948, conceived, organized and drove in the first post-war road race in America through the roads of Watkins Glen. "Chip Ganassi is a titan in the racing community. His leadership and business acumen have grown Chip Ganassi Racing from a one-car team to a powerhouse in the industry," said International Speedway Cooperation President John Saunders. "Owning multiple teams across different racing series is no small task, yet he continues to find success at the upper echelons of professional motorsports.” NASCAR President Mike Helton added, "Chip is an outstanding competitor, savvy team owner and is passionate about his work. The France Family and all of NASCAR congratulate Chip on being the first recipient of the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for outstanding contributions to motorsports."
100+ Wins and Counting…: The Target Racing Program, which began with Target and Chip Ganassi Racing in 1990, will be contending for their 105th win as the season progresses. The first win for the program came in 1994 with Michael’s Andretti’s Indy car victory at Surfers Paradise, Australia, when the team was a two-car, Indy car program. 103 wins later, the program’s umbrella not only includes involvement in the Verizon IndyCar Series, but in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The partnership between Target and Chip Ganassi Racing is one of the longest consecutive team partnerships in motor racing history.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE STREETS OF TORONTO
Scott Dixon and No. 9 Target Team
Sweeps-at-stake: Dixon is looking to win his third race in a row at Toronto, during the Honda Indy Toronto Race 1, after sweeping the weekend doubleheader last season en route to his third Verizon IndyCar Series Championship.
Getting Hot: Entering Race 1 on the Streets of Toronto, Dixon looks for his third straight top-five finish, which would be the longest such streak for him this season.
The Ice Man Returns: The three-time Verizon IndyCar Series Champion (2003, 2008, 2013) and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner returns in 2014 for his first season alongside 2004 Series Champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner Kanaan. Dixon, the active wins leader, is in seventh place on the all-time list (1909-Present) with 33 victories, ranking only behind A.J. Foyt, the Andretti’s (Mario and Michael) and Unser’s (Al, Bobby and Al Jr.). His next pole (21st) will see him tied for 13th on the all-time list with Gil De Ferran.
Title Talk: Should reigning Verizon IndyCar Series Champion Dixon take home the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series title, he would become the fifth driver to win four Indy car titles (AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais, Dario Franchitti). Dixon won the title in 2003, 2008 and again in 2013.
Moving Forward: With his next victory, Dixon would tie Al Unser Jr. for sixth on the all-time wins list. Dixon won his 33rd race at Houston's Reliant Park in October 2013. A victory in 2014 will extend Dixon’s streak of consecutive seasons with a win to 10; while qualifying in the top spot would mark eight consecutive seasons with a pole. He has led at least one race for 12 consecutive seasons. Dixon has 169 consecutive starts, placing him in fourth on the all-time list and in second place behind teammate Kanaan for active drivers.
Go with What you Know: 2014 marks Dixon’s 13th year with Team Target – the longest tenure for a driver in team history (1990-Present).
